This is my absolute favorite Thanksgiving Turkey. The herb butter keeps the turkey moist and provides great flavor. Don’t skip out on the fresh herbs for this recipe – they are a must. Plan on 1.25-1.5 pounds of turkey for each person. For leftovers, 1.5 pounds per person is a good sized turkey.
It’s really a quite simple recipe. Chop the herbs, grate the lemon zest, and mix with the softened butter. You can mix the herb butter, then cover and refrigerate until Thanksgiving Day. You will just need to allow time for the herb butter to soften again.
To prep the turkey, first let it thaw in the fridge. You can plan on about 24 hours for every 5 pounds. I usually give myself another 24 hour buffer just in case it isn’t fully thawed. When you are ready to prep the turkey, remove the neck and giblets. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels, but do not rinse it in your sink. Place the turkey in a roasting pan, breast side up. Use your fingers to gently separate the skin over the breast portion of the turkey so that you can spread the herb butter under the skin. Be careful not to poke holes in the skin. If you can get down to the leg portion without tearing through the skin, spread the butter mixture there too. Spread the herb butter over the top of the turkey. If you find the herb butter hard to spread, microwave it for a few seconds (it doesn’t need to melt fully, just soften more) and use a pastry or grilling brush to brush it on. Last, you will stuff the turkey with the quartered orange, lemon, and onion. Tuck the wings under, and tie the legs if that has not already been done for you.
Bake the turkey at 325 using the following as a rough guideline for an unstuffed turkey:
- 8-12 pounds: 2 3/4 hours to 3 hours
- 12-14 pounds: 3 hours to 3 3/4 hours
- 14-18 pounds: 3 3/4 hours to 4 1/4 hours
- 18-20 pounds: 4 1/4 hours to 4 1/2 hours
- 20-24 pounds: 4 1/2 hours to 5 hours
Thanksgiving Herb Buttered Turkey
Ingredients
2 sticks butter, softened
1 Tbsp chopped sage
1 Tbsp chopped thyme
1 Tbsp chopped Rosemary
1 Tbsp lemon zest
1 lemon, quartered
1 onion quartered
1 orange, quartered
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine the softened butter with the chopped fresh herbs and lemon zest. Remove the neck and giblets. Pat the turkey dry with paper towels, but do not rinse it in your sink. Place the turkey in a roasting pan, breast side up. Use your fingers to gently separate the skin over the breast portion of the turkey. Spread not quite half of the butter mixture under the skin, working it as far around the turkey as you can, being careful not to poke holes in the skin. If you can get down to the leg portion without tearing through the skin, spread the butter mixture there too. Spread the herb butter over the top of the turkey. If you find the herb butter hard to spread, microwave it for a few seconds (it doesn’t need to melt, just soften a little more) and use a pastry or grilling brush to brush it on the outside of the turkey. Last, stuff the turkey cavity with the quartered orange, lemon, and onion. Tuck the wings under, and tie the legs if that has not already been done for you. Roast the turkey at 325 until the thickest part reads 160-165 degrees. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 30 minutes before carving.
Notes
I am typically roasting brussel sprouts at 400 degrees right before putting the turkey in the oven. When the turkey goes in, my oven is at 400 but I immediately lower the temp to 325. Starting in a hotter oven will help the skin get crispier.